The fact that support for Microsoft Exchange 5.5 has already been discontinued and the prospect of support for Exchange 2000 being discontinued shortly sees IT staff facing stiff questions on the future of their Groupware environments.

The Perspektive Open Source conference is a showcase where vendors can present their Open Source-based alternatives.

Many corporations are looking for a successor that integrates more easily with a heterogeneous IT landscape, says Peter Ganten, CEO Univention. "Many companies take a critical view of Active Directory as it influences many other IT sectors. In many cases, better solutions exist”, says Ganten who has implemented many migration projects. Newer versions of Exchange rely on across the board deployment of Active Directory.

Cost is another important argument for moving to an open Groupware solution. A typical mid-sized enterprise with a staff of 150 could easily save US$ 10,000 in licensing feeds. "And with the same kind of support", Ganten explains.

The “Exchange Alternatives and Groupware Solutions” session at “Perspektive Open Source” gives users a useful overview of the market. The series of talks is taking place October 25, showcased by the Systems trade fair in Munich Germany. An online registration form is available on the conference website.